Review: Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips

 Summary from Goodreads:

The zoo is nearly empty as Joan and her four-year-old son soak up the last few moments of playtime. They are happy, and the day has been close to perfect. But what Joan sees as she hustles her son toward the exit gate minutes before closing time sends her sprinting back into the zoo, her child in her arms. And for the next three hours—the entire scope of the novel—she keeps on running.

Joan’s intimate knowledge of her son and of the zoo itself—the hidden pathways and under-renovation exhibits, the best spots on the carousel and overstocked snack machines—is all that keeps them a step ahead of danger.

A masterful thrill ride and an exploration of motherhood itself—from its tender moments of grace to its savage power—Fierce Kingdom asks where the boundary is between our animal instinct to survive and our human duty to protect one another. For whom should a mother risk her life?

My Review:



I was uncertain until I reached the last page that this would be a 5-star read for me. As I usually do when I go to the library I randomly picked this thriller based on the cover and a glance at the plot. But I'm glad that I did because it was a well-written intense thriller with interesting characters.

The format is unique because it takes place over a few hours during the shooting, it was sometimes hard to follow but overall added some suspense to it. The flow of the novel had me on the edge of my seat for most of the book and it was hard to put it down. The novel itself is less than 300 pages but Phillips is able to pack a lot within it, and the intensity never goes down or drags in my opinion.

The part that made this a 5-star read for me was the writing style. Phillips had such a beautiful and lyrical writing style that connects you to the main characters.

Phillips mainly stays with Joan and her four year old son but also shows the point of view of others trapped in the zoo and also those involved the the shootings. Phillips also does a great job getting the readers invested in the lives of her characters and from the start we are scared for/rooting for them to survive through the novel.

I recommend checking out this beautifully written thriller and the unique plot.

My Rating:

5 Stars Out of 5 Stars